In Search of Friends
by Damaru Hineko
Summary: N'Kira is fed up with Simba's pride and decides to leave, few members of the pride coming with her. They join up with new lions and random friends are made along the way.
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1:  
  
Anhk-Beshon was a tall, sturdy, lavendar lion. He was the oldest of the pride. He did things his way just because he thought he could. He usually got in trouble with Simba, however, who was growing old and elderly, and would soon have to resign as King and let Kiara take over as Queen. N'Kira crawled out of the den, watching Anhk-Beshon's oddly colored fur flap in the morning breeze... She admired him for a while before moving again. He was a very majestic animal, had it not been for the fact that he was a nasty bastard to N'Kira and her family. Her trailing tail brushed over a small rock, making sound enough for him to hear it. He turned, his face looked aged and ancient. N'Kira shrinked back, growling and bearing her teeth, her tail swishing back and forth, threateningly. Anhk-Beshon shwoed no signs of wanting to come after her this time. N'Kira sighed and darted down the side of Pride Rock. She slowed as she started approaching the water hole. 'Noton,' she thought.  
And old antelope named Noton stood in the tall grass. He had long antlers and a brown body with a black underbelly and black "socks" on his legs, going from the knee down. He had white on a small marking on either of his eyes, the outline of his eye, and a streak going from his eyes down to his nose. Many scars covered his body from past face-off's with N'Kira. He and her had made N'Kira's hunting a brutal game of chase. N'Kira had never gotten this kill. It was the only one she'd ever missed. Noton chewed his cud silently. He was the only one there- noe belonging to a group or heard. They had all left him for his gruesome many scars. N'Kira crouched low, her golden fur bledning with the tall reeds of grass. She leapt, her claws sinking into his backside, making long rips in his pelt. He let out an odd shreik of surprise and pain, bucking and running, tossing his head back to try stabbing her with his long horns. Unfortunatly, they curved upward, thus being unable to do any damage.  
N'Kira held tight and then bit into the back of his neck. She was finally thrown off, his backside bleeding badly as he scampered away. N'Kira got to her feet dazedly. She tottered for a minute, then turned and cursed herself for not tripping him first. She walked on, past the water hole, a strange squeaking noise drawing her in. A small ball of two different colors of fuzz lay curled up and whimpering in the tall grass. She lay down and pet them on the head gently. They quivered and huddled closer. N'Kira nosed them gently. "Hey, you two, it's ok... shh..." A loud male's growl made her start as she looked up. A blue with a purple mane, paws, markings, muzzle, eyes and tail stood above her, growling. She backed away slowly. "Are you their father?"  
He did not answer- only growled at her.  
"I did not harm them or mean them any harm. I merely wanted to make sure they were ok."  
The male lion spoke, "I thank you for your concern. Now leave."  
"Noran!" A black female bounded up to the blue male, gray markings and underbelly. "Are the cubs ok?"  
"Yes, Fern. The Pridelander hadn't eaten them... yet..."  
Fern walked up to N'Kira. "My family does not approve of other lions helping us." "Please let me help you. I don't want to hurt you."  
Fern looked to Noran, "Go get daddy." The blue male nodded and padded off, returning a few moments later with a male lion, who was black in color with a very dark gray mane, and light gray markings; an odd shape on his forhead. Also, A light blue female with dark blue strands of hair in her face, markings, paws, and underbelly. N'Kira backed up a step, unsure. "Daddy, this Pridelander was caught in Kyanza's and Orcsia's nest."  
The black lion stepped forward. "What was your intension?"  
"To make sure they were safe. They were alone and crying."  
"Liar!" The black lion roared out, growl mixing with his voice.  
"Xerxes, please!" The blue female scolded him, stepping forward.  
"Shanika... leave this to us."  
"No." She turned to N'Kira. N'Kira was ready to run if needed. "she's fine. She wants no trouble."  
Xerxes growled then sighed. He lost.  
"I'm sorry. I will go now."  
"No, don't," Shanika said. "Please... stay for a meal." N'Kira's eye caught a dead zebra behind the family. She smiled and nodded. Getting to know each other, N'Kira found out that Fern and Noran was the furballs' brother and sister, not parents. Much older brother and sister.  
N'Kira and the Roxau pride finished the meal and she turned to them as she was about to leave. "Come to Pride Rock with me."  
"No," Xerxes suddenly had a stern look. "We're not going with one Pridelander to put our lives in danger with fifty of them."  
"Huh?" N'Kira didn't quite understand at first. "But they're not like that. I'll make sure you and your family stays safe. Please come with me."  
Shanika stood and nodded. "We will come."  
"Shanika!" "No. We're going. We can't live like this on our own anymore. We need someone else's help."  
Xerxes indignantly nodded and picked up Kyanza in his teeth and walked behind N'Kira. Noran picked up Orcsia in his mouth, Fern and Shanika following. The made their way through the plains then past the water hole. They climbed up the side of Pride Rock. Anhk-Beshon was no longer there. N'Kira told the Roxau pride to wait for a moment as she padded into the den and emerged with Simba at her side. "Simba," she turned to him. "These lions are outsiders but they wish to join us. Please allow them to. They gave me a meal and only want to be helped and help us."  
Simba looked them over and nodded. "One week to prove they are worthy of our pride." He went back in the den. N'Kira smiled, "There's someone inside watching the other cubs of the pride. You can leave Kyanza and Orcsia with them if you wish." The two male lions went inside and dropped the cubs off with a black lion with a red and white mane and orange markings named Ranma. They left the den.  
"You guys can explore or mingle. I have to assemble my hunting party and find some game befreo sunfall."  
She walked out to the cliff of Pride Rock. She roared loudly. At least five females assembled below. She climbed down and walked off with the hunting party behind her. The four Roxaus split up and scoured the area for something to do. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:  
  
N'Kira led Tora, Shante, Shell, Kaffin, and Taffy into the plains and split up. N'Kira found a heard of Zebra and found a half-baby, lingering on the outskirts of the heard. In a second, it was down and being dragged back to Pride Rock. The others found gemsbok and antelope. One found a rabbit for the cubs to share; the meat was easier for them to chew on smaller animals.  
After the meal was finished at Pride Rock, they fell asleep, the sun having set.  
A squeak of terror echoed into the den from out on the cliff. Shanika awoke, being the light sleeper she was, and looked outside. There was a small blind cub with smokey blue eyes and a flame in the middle of her forhead. Shanika remembered that her name was Flamandria. Shanika got up, noticing that something was scaring the poor cub. Somehow, Flamandria must have realized that there was something there, trying to attack her. An antelope with many scars marking it's body was shaking it's antlers at the cub and rearing up at it. Shanika woke Xerxes and he cleared his mind just in time to see his mate tackle the antelope. Xerxes roared, bounding after Flamandria and picking her up by her nape, carrying her back inside. His roar had awoken the entire pride, making them see him save the cub as his mate kept the antelope busy.  
N'Kira realized who the antelope was and darted after him... He was weak from Shanika's attack- now was her chance! She caught up to him and tripped him, clawing at his loins, snapping for his neck but missing. He let her get dragged off and loped away. She swore at herself as she trudged back to Pride Rock.  
Ranma was standing on the cliff, Flamandria in front of him, Khafra and Arona sitting behind him. Ranma roared and the Roxau pride stepped forward, Simba placing himself before Ranma and next to Flamandria.  
"The Roxau pride has proven they are worthy of staying with us. They are now family." He roared proudly and Xerxes and Shanika roared back in reply, Ranma and Arona roaring in reply to them , Flamandria getting a chance to roar herself, her mewl weak and little.  
N'Kira called and the rest of the lions followed. Soon, the Pride Lands were echoing with the sounds of roaring... N'Kira watched as the lions dispersed for the night... Jamino walked up to her and nuzzled her. "Hey, N'Kira..."  
"Hey Jamino. And just where have you been all day?"  
"Out."  
"One of these days, I'm going to find out what it is your doing when you go out everyday, like it or not... You're going out with Arona, aren't you?!"  
"What? Huh? No... She has Ranma..."  
"Yeah well I see the way she looks at you with those big goo-goo eyes..."  
"So? That doesn't mean we're both cheating on our mates."  
"Most of the time it does."  
"Well it doesn't for us ok... Calm down."  
N'Kira sighed and nodded. "You're right."  
"Damn right I am."  
N'Kira tackled him to his back but Jamino used Nala's famous kick to knock her over his head as they both laughed. N'Kira ran at him and tackled him as they rolled... Jamino stood and trotted off, dodging behind shrubs but she always seemed to find him. He saw a fingure in the night leap at him and knock him into the watering hole backwards. He swam to the surface and climbed out, hissing and shaking out his mane.  
N'Kira crawled out next to him, giggling and shaking herself out on him. She ran ahead of him, laughing and Jamino chased her across the rolling plains of the Masai Mara. Jamino roared and N'Kira replied, giggling... He found her and tackled her, the two of them rolling down the hills horizontally and laughing. His blue mane glistened in the moonlight as he lay on his back... N'Kira sighed happily, looking up at the stars as well... Her eyes grew tired and heavy as she closed them. Jamino nudged her.  
"Stay awake, N'Kira... We have ti head back to Pride rock, soon..."  
"So soon? But I want to stay out here... It's so nice..."  
"I know... But only Simba's allowed to be out after nightfall and the sky's already turning pink and purple... We should head back."  
"What do you think of forming out own pride, Jamino?"  
"What?"  
"I mean it..." She rolled onto her stomach, looking at him happily. "We could just take those of them who wanted to come and visit the Pride Lands every now and then if Simba would permit us. Wouldn't it be great?"  
"Are you kidding me? Suppose no one wants to come. Then what? We go off on our own? The whole pride will know we want to leave if we ask them."  
N'Kira looked down and rolled back onto her back. "But still... It would be great, wouldn't it? I mean, then we could stay out like this all night. Even sleep under the stars together, wouldn't that be fantastic?"  
"Here's something else. Say we did form a new pride. Ok, fantastic, so what if Blackfire or Zira happens to come along, say I hate you and your pride, and overthrows us and takes over. Then what huh?"  
"It was just a suggestion you know..."  
Jamino sighed and nugded at her. "You're right I'm sorry. Let's go back to the den."  
The two of them walked solemnly back to the den. Neither of them said a word the rest of the night. Complete silence when they entered the den was a surprise to their ears that everyone was asleep already but the sun was setting sooner now and they must have retired early. They took to seperate sides of the den and slept peacefully. 


End file.
